ATP 500 Vienna final
Draper – Khachanov: 27.10.2024 14:00 CEST
H2H: 1-2
Jack Draper has won four of his last five matches. The last match Draper had played before Vienna was in Tokyo, where he reached the quarterfinals, retiring against Humbert mid-match. Draper then pulled out of the Shanghai Masters due to an abdominal injury. Here in Vienna, Draper won his opening match against Nishikori in tight straight sets as we predicted. Jack looked rusty on the court, but was able to get the job done. He ended the match hitting 30 winners and only 10 unforced errors. In the 1/8-Finals, Jack demolished Darderi in straight sets as we predicted. After winning the first set 7-5 after a hard battle, Jack stepped up his level, and won the second set 6-1 easily. In the quarterfinals, Jack won against Machac in three sets. Jack was great under pressure, saving seven out of eight breakpoints. In the deciding set, the Brit was unplayable. Today in the semifinals, Jack defeated Musetti in straight sets as we predicted. Both players played aggressively, but Jack had a better day, and won convincingly. The Brit lost his serve twice, but was great on return, and managed to close out the match in easy straight sets. Jack was struggling with his second serve, but other than that, Draper played well throughout the whole match. Last year around this time, Draper spent some time playing at the challenger tour level.
Karen Khachanov has won eight straight matches. Last week in Almaty, Khachanov won the title, winning against Diallo in the final as we predicted. This was the second title of the season for the Russian. Here in Vienna, Khachanov won his opening match in straight sets easily against Seyboth Wild. Karen offered and saved only one breakpoint. In the 1/8-Finals, Khachanov won against Nakashima in three tight sets as we predicted. After losing the first set 1-6, the Russian stepped up his level, and comfortably turned the match around. In the second and deciding set, Khachanov offered no breakpoint, and was just dominant. In the quarterfinals, Khachanov won against Berrettini in straight sets. This time, the Russian offered and saved two breakpoints. He was great on the net, winning all the points on net. This is just another sign of his current confidence. Today in the semifinals, Karen defeated de Minaur in easy straight sets as we predicted. Khachanov continued his winning streak, and showed how good he is on the indoor courts. Khachanov was a better player from the very start, and deservedly won in straight sets. Last year in Vienna, Khachanov reached the quarterfinals, when he lost against Medvedev in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this should be a 50-50 match. Khachanov has spent a lot of time on the court for the last couple of weeks. We believe that Draper will be fresher coming into this matchup. Jack is one of the best hard-court players at the moment, and we expect him to win the title here in Vienna.
That being said, Draper winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Jack Draper winning @1.72 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
